River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-08-18


in the old lady's eyes. fixed so eagerl,
upon her. conquered her resolutions.
Il will co." she said. feeling that i
was duty she owed to her dear oil
friend.
On their way to the hall where tn,
lecture was to be delivered she though
neither of Mr.. Smith nor of Janet. lying
far away in her quiet grave, nor o.
Janet's little son, whom she had left j
quarter of an hour before in the rosy
sleep of healthy, happy childhood. Al
though as rule she thought but little
of her own affairs. on that particular
levening her mind was full of thoughts
of her work and her last subject, a lady
who was neither young nor fair, and
the expires sion of whose withered fea-
lures she had some difficulty incatching.
While they were sitting in the hall
waiting for the appearance of the lee
turer. she was thinking of this. and
] wondering fretfully if her skilfulness of
hand and correctness of eye We're leay-
ing her-thinking not at all of what
was going on around her-when Mrs.
Saunders touched her arm, and whisper
ed
There he isr'
With a startled air, as if she had
been suddenly reused from sleep. she
turned, and with careless indifferent
eyes looked toward the platform. Then
suddenly. at the sight of the lecturer.
with wild shrill cry she sprang to her
feet. She tried to speak, but her voice
faala1 hnF.. rrftffral tstKs
of despair came from he pale lips.
and with gesture of despair
she threw up her arms wildly
and then fell down in a swoon.
She was removed Immediately; but
it was more than an hour before she
could be taken home. and then it was
not her own house, but TO Mrs. Saun-
der's that they took her. and laid her
on the couch in the pretty drawing
room. while Mrs saunders, having
done all that was necessary for her
comfort, sat down beside her. wiping
her old eyes from time to time. for she
was very much agitated and strangely
exercised in her mind. She kept say
ing to herself almost necessarily in an
undertone:
"He is Trustworthy man if he is
any thing, Oh, YES, surely he is a trust
worthy man, and my Janet is past
trouble and ut rest
From time to time she looked visit
fully down at the gentle face which had
become so dear to her. but it was, a il
has ever been, like closed book; she
could only see that it was strangely
changed-viyid emotion had transform
ed it. as if by miracle. The passion
ess calm which had been its distinguish
ing characteristic was gone, the sweet
sad ewes were cleaning with wild
strange light. and in the pale cheeks
there was feyerish flush of color that
changed at every sound, while every
passing foolstep on the pavement out
side made Helen tremble.
Oh, how long those two hours seem
ed in which he did not come. and, oh.
how strange it ali was to Mrs. Saund-
ers when he did come at last, He was
not the stately, proud, cold man he had
always appeared to her, but eager, eX-
cited, bending forward, as if he would
rush headlong into the room. He did
not notice her at all; she was only of
secondary importance-she belonged to
Janet and his marriage of convenience,
not to the passionate past, the memo
rics of which were overmastering him
now. SO the old lady thought; and a
momentary pang Of jealousy pierced
her heart. He had ewes only for the
pale lovely figure on the sofa; it was to
her he went. and, thro wing himself
down upon bis knees beside her, he
clasped her hand in both his own.
"Helen. Helen he cried, in voice
shrIll with excitement and hope.
He thought only Of her, saw only her
but she had got glimpse Of poor Mrs.
saunders perplexed face, and spring
ing up from the sofa, grasped her
hands.
I'VE lov, each other in youth. =
she said breathlessly; 1--WE were one in
heart and soul. Now, we meet after
years of hopeless separation: it is
as though he were given back to me
from the dead. You understands"
Mrs. Saunders did not understand
at al, but in due time and after many
explanations it was made plain to her
The two before her had been engaged
to each other in Helen's girlnood long
before, Dut they were poor and he had
resolved to 20 to India in quest of for
tune <The ship in which he sailed had
been lost with all Oh board, as was
supposed: but he and three others had
been saved. Meanwhile the aunt with
whom Helen lived had died, and, alone
in the world almost broken hearted AT
the loss of her lover she had wandered
forth from the home of her childhood,
with every tie broken that had once
bound her to her fellow creatures.
Il must have died. William" she
sobbed. lin that dreary time-yes, /
am sure | must nave died--if it had not
been necessary for me 10 work, and If |
had not found work which | could do.
Ii was simple story-straightfor
ward. and without complications; and
Mrs. Saunders, having heard it. went
upstairs to her grandchild's nursery,
and left the two alone. They had to
take mp the thread of their life where it
had snapped so suddenly, and they
found it marvellously easy to do 50, for
their hearts had never ceased TO beat
in sympathy with each other,
I'VE have dropped out of he account
Janet and land she is in her quiet
grave; SO, after all, it is only me that it
| is hard upon, said good Mrs. Saunders
To herself. as she stopped over her
grandson's cot. From the moment she
understood the situation clearly she had
seen how il all must end, and, although
She cried little, she was glad, and did
not regret that she had gone out with
noiseless step and left them alone. "She
win be happy" she said to herself. with
sob; land | can say from my heart,
/ Heaven bless her and make her sou
although she is to fill my JANET place.
Beautiful Tribute.
The letter which Senator ID. w.
| Vaorbnas wrotp tn the committee in